Effectively grasping objects can be difficult when suffering from a condition that affects one's hands, such as arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. Likewise, with the miniaturization of electronics, devices such as mobile phones are becoming increasingly difficult to grasp over long periods of time due to their awkward dimensions. Although carrying cases and carrying handles are available as accessories for some objects, such accessories are often more adapted for transportation rather than for handling during use. For example, a pouch that clips to the belt may be suitable for carrying a mobile phone, but the phone must be removed from the belt prior to use, rendering it essentially useless during calls.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,560,031 provides a portable media case with extendable sockets for use with media players, such as mobile phones. Handling the phone typically involves wedging fingers between the sockets. However, the case significantly increases the footprint of the phone, which may not be desirable. In addition, positioning one or a few fingers between the sockets requires the remaining fingers to be spread outward, which may be uncomfortable over time.
Magnetism is a well-known principle that involves a force of attraction or repulsion at a distance due to the presence of a magnetic field. To this end, magnetic attraction has been used in the jewelry industry to assist with approaches for interchanging ornamentation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,944 provides an article of jewelry with a base element having an outer surface configured for magnetic attraction with interchangeable ornamental substrates by way of a flexible magnet. However, such use is limited to ornamentation purposes for outward presentation and does not assist with handling larger devices during use over long periods of time.